As the new school year gets underway, Ontario is making it easier for children and families to access quality before- and after-school care.

Indira Naidoo-Harris, Minister Responsible for Early Years and Child Care, was at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School in Toronto today to announce that more than 80 per cent of schools across Ontario are now offering before- and after-school programs for 4-12 year olds.

As of September 1, 2017, Ontario now requires school boards to provide before- and after-school programs for children up to age 12, in all publicly funded elementary schools serving students up to Grade 6, where there is sufficient demand. These programs provide additional opportunities for play-based programming, and are a critical support for parents who rely on before- and after-school care to accommodate their work schedules.

Making licensed child care more affordable and more accessible for families is part of Ontario’s plan to create jobs, grow the economy and help people in their everyday lives.

QUOTES

“For many families the day doesn't begin and end with a school bell, that’s why it's important to give them the support they need to lead happy, successful lives. We are expanding before-and after-school programs that parents rely on every day to help them meet their daily challenges. We are working hard to meet the needs of Ontario families so they can access quality, affordable child care programs.”

—Indira Naidoo-Harris, Minister Responsible for Early Years and Child Care

QUICK FACTS

§ Before- and after-school programs for 4-12 year olds may be directly operated by a school board, delivered by a licensed child care centre, or, for after-school programs serving 6-12 year olds, an authorized recreational and skill-building program.§ Ontario will help 100,000 more children aged 0-4 access affordable, quality, and responsive licensed child care in schools, homes, and communities over the next five years. As part of the expansion plan, the province announced $1.6 billion in new funding to build 45,000 new child care spaces in schools and other community spaces across Ontario over the next five years.§ On June 6, 2017, Ontario released its Renewed Early Years and Child Care Policy Framework and Expansion Plan, which outlines a vision for a high-quality, inclusive and affordable early years and child care system.§ Since 2012-13, the number of licensed child care spaces in Ontario has grown to 406,395 – an increase of 38 per cent.

Ontario Cracking Down on Careless and Distracted Driving withTough New PenaltiesProvince Taking Action to Keep Pedestrians, Cyclists and Drivers Safe

September 20, 2017

Ontario plans to crack down on careless and distracted driving with tough new rules and penalties that would help improve road safety and keep the most vulnerable road users – including pedestrians and cyclists – safe.

Minister of Transportation Steven Del Duca and Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport Eleanor McMahon, were in Toronto today to announce the tough new road-safety measures. They were joined by Han Dong, MPP for Trinity-Spadina.

The province plans to introduce new legislation this fall that, if passed, would help protect pedestrians and cyclists and reduce the number of people killed or injured by impaired, distracted and dangerous drivers. The proposed measures include:

§ A new offence for careless driving causing death or bodily harm with penalties that include fines, licence suspension and imprisonment§ Tougher penalties for distracted driving, such as using a cellphone while operating a vehicle, including higher fines, more demerit points, and license suspensions§ Increased penalties for drivers who fail to yield for pedestrians and escalating fines for drivers who are convicted of multiple pedestrian-related offences within a five-year window§ Expanding the use of rear flashing blue lights for enforcement and emergency vehicles.

In addition, the province is consulting on the use of cameras on school buses that capture the offence of illegally passing a school bus, so that this evidence can be admitted into court without a witness.

For 16 years in a row, Ontario’s roads have been ranked either first or second safest in North America, but more can still be done. These strong measures add to recently-announced tough new penalties for those who drive under the influence of drugs, including cannabis.

Keeping Ontario’s roads safe is part of our plan to create jobs, grow our economy and help people in their everyday lives.

QUOTES

“Ontario is taking action to reduce the number of people killed by impaired, distracted and dangerous drivers. These measures will help keep some of our most vulnerable road users safe and help us drive home the message that dangerous, impaired and distracted driving is unacceptable, and will not be tolerated.”— Steven Del Duca, Minister of Transportation

QUICK FACTS

§ On average, one person is killed on Ontario’s roads every 17 hours. In 2014, pedestrians and cyclists made up approximately 25 per cent of Ontario’s road fatalities.§ While drunk driving remains in the top-five killers on Ontario’s roads, the province’s most recent roadside survey found that drivers who tested positive for drugs were more than twice the number who tested positive for alcohol.§ The proposed legislation builds on existing measures Ontario has introduced to improve road safety including tougher impaired, distracted and street racing laws.§ In May Ontario passed legislation to protect the most vulnerable such as pedestrians and cyclists, by giving municipalities more tools to address speeding. These tools include the ability to set reduced default speed limits and use automated speed-enforcement systems on roads with speed limits below 80 km/h that are designated as community safety zones or in school zones.§ In June 2015, Ontario passed legislation to toughen penalties for offences such as distracted driving.§ The Ministry of Transportation hosted a road safety symposium in June with municipalities and many road safety partners to discuss a broad range of road safety concerns that helped shape the government’s proposed actions to help to save lives on Ontario’s roads.

To help keep roads safe, Ontario plans to introduce new measures to make drug-impaired driving laws even tougher.

Premier Kathleen Wynne and Steven Del Duca, Minister of Transportation, were in Toronto today to announce that Ontario plans to introduce legislation this fall that would increase the consequences and costs for those who drive under the influence of drugs, including cannabis. The measures add to Ontario's comprehensive cannabis plan, introduced in advance of the federal government's plans to legalize recreational cannabis by July 2018.

In Ontario, the penalties for impaired driving are already among the toughest in Canada. The province has been working closely with public health and safety experts, police, and federal and municipal governments to develop the proposed measures, which build on Ontario's recent action to align penalties for drug-impaired driving with those already in place for drunk drivers.

Young drivers aged 21 and underNovice drivers -- G1, G2, M1 and M2 licence holdersAll commercial drivers.Zero tolerance means that drivers should not get behind the wheel if they have any detectable presence of drugs or alcohol in their system. For cannabis, the federal government will be approving a screening device and setting the thresholds for detectable presence in the coming months.

Ontario's legislation would also increase monetary penalties for all drivers who fail, or refuse to perform, a sobriety test.

As the federal legalization of cannabis approaches, Ontario plans to convene a summit in the fall of 2017 with policing partners, public health and other stakeholders. With the goal of keeping communities safe, the summit will be an opportunity to identify the resources necessary to address illegal storefront cannabis sales, proposed provincial offences, enforcement, opportunities for coordination and collaboration, and associated resource requirements.

QUOTES

" There is no excuse for impaired driving — whether it is due to drugs or alcohol. It is unacceptable, dangerous and the consequences can be tragic and life-changing. Our zero tolerance policies for the highest-risk drivers are about keeping Ontario’s roads safe and protecting people across the province." - Kathleen WynnePremier of Ontario

" As we get ready for the legalization of cannabis, we are working to make our impaired-driving laws even tougher and keep our roads safe. Impaired driving, whether by drugs or alcohol, is illegal, dangerous and it’s never okay." - Steven Del DucaMinister of Transportation

QUICK FACTS

According to the 2014 Ontario Road Safety Annual Report, 29 per cent of all road fatalities that year involved a driver impaired by drugs and/or alcohol.In addition to provincial sanctions, impaired driving can lead to federal criminal charges, which could ultimately result in a loss of licence, additional fines and jail time.Ontario is the first province or territory in Canada to publicly announce a comprehensive plan to regulate federally legalized cannabis. Key elements include setting a minimum age, promoting education and awareness and proposing a safe and sensible approach to the retail of recreational cannabis.

Judge Inundated with Hundreds of Letters of Support, Decides Against Further Jail Time For Prisoner of Conscience Mary Wagner

JUDGE INUNDATED WITH HUNDREDS OF LETTERS OF SUPPORT, DECIDES AGAINST FURTHER JAIL TIME FOR PRISONER OF CONSCIENCE MARY WAGNER

Toronto, Sept 12, 2017 – On Tuesday September 12, 2017, after receiving more than 850 character references in support of Mary Wagner, Justice Rick Libman of the Ontario Court of Justice decided for no further jail time for the pro-life prisoner of conscience, despite the Crown’s appeal for up to 18 months behind bars.

“We thank Justice Libman for this decision which is a step in the right direction. In less than a month, Mary received more than 850 reference letters, 34,000 emails and 67,000 petition signatures in support of her character and unborn children,” said Jim Hughes, National President, Campaign Life Coalition and Vice-President, International Right to Life Federation. “This overwhelming response is a reflection of a global opposition to abortion in Canada."

On August 15, Justice Libman deferred Wagner’s sentencing so that she could prepare evidence on her behalf including character references. Following the trial, Wagner invited supporters to submit reference letters for her character and in the support of children before birth. People from various parts of the world answered her request in massive numbers.

“We need more people like Mary who genuinely understand the plight of women and their unborn children,” said Hughes. “Abortion is a great injustice in this country and we stand firmly with Mary in her courageous undertaking of putting her own life at risk so that women choose life for their children.”

About Campaign Life CoalitionCampaign Life Coalition is a national, non-profit organization involved in political action and advocacy for legal and cultural change in Canada with respect to protecting human life and the family. It is non-partisan and encourages voting based on principles, not party. For more information visit www.campaignlifecoalition.com.